The objective of this proposal is to provide an efficient means for service workers in the field of aging to judge the assets and liabilities of clients who present themselves for service. The research will develop a multilevel assessment instrument for evaluating a broad spectrum of functioning relevant to the mental health of elderly people: physical health, cognitive ability, moral and psychopathology, self-maintaining and instrumental activities of daily living, enriching activity, social behavior, social support, and physical environmental support. Validation will be done against membership in 3 community-resident groups arranged in a continuum of independence: a no-service group, a high-intensity service group, and a group awaiting admission to long-term care. Extensive reliability testing will be done. A product of the research will be a manual for the use of professional and semi-professional personnel engaged in service decision-making with elderly clients.